


this night is not forever

by WithYourRhythm



Series: hourglass backwards [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Happy Ending, Families of Choice, First Meetings, Fix-It, Flirting, Friendship, Grief/Mourning, Implied Sexual Content, Jinchuuriki Uchiha Sasuke, M/M, Mentioned Past Character Death Of Sorts, Rare Pairings, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:27:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22054795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WithYourRhythm/pseuds/WithYourRhythm
Summary: "Here's the deal," Sasuke says between his wheezes with a huge grin on his face, and he can't keep himself from giving Kisame a onceover, his eyes straying off of their path once or twice when he sees the tent visible on his pants. "Screw Akatsuki."Kisame gives him back a smile that screams dangerous, and his sharp teeth gleam under the sun that's barely visible from the buildings that surround the deserted, dead-end street they're in. "And what do I get out of that?"Sasuke lets his grin widen. "Screwing me?"
Relationships: Fuu of Takigakure & Uchiha Sasuke, Gaara & Uchiha Sasuke, Hoshigaki Kisame/Uchiha Sasuke, Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama & Uchiha Sasuke, Mentioned Past Uchiha Sasuke/Zabuza (Naruto), Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke & Han (Naruto), Uchiha Sasuke & Roushi (Naruto), Uchiha Sasuke & Utakata (Naruto), Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke & Yagura (Naruto), Uchiha Sasuke & Yugito Nii (Naruto)
Series: hourglass backwards [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1882066
Comments: 21
Kudos: 367
Collections: Akatsuki Gift Exchange, Naruto Fanfics, neruto-san





	this night is not forever

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BoyGirlBothNoneImTheUniverse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoyGirlBothNoneImTheUniverse/gifts).



> This is my gift for [fuckyoucanada](https://tumblr.com/%5Bhttp://fuckyoucanada.tumblr.com%5D) for the Akatsuki Gift Exchange! It's only 10pm in my timezone, and I barely had enough time to post, but here it is!
> 
> The min word count was 1k, so of course I wrote a 8k fic. I may or may not be planning to add more to this AU later on, but this is all I have for now. The prompts I choose were 'any Akatsuki member/Uchiha Sasuke, An older Sasuke somehow ends up in the past and finds himself (unfortunately) in the middle of an Akatsuki meeting. Does he have to fight his way out? How does Itachi react? etc. etc.' which I, well... may have went overboard with. I also couldn't stop myself from adding the junchuuriki- the actual point of this fic was Sasuke and Kisame's meeting, and Itachi finding out Sasuke had traveled back in time.
> 
> I really hope you like it even though I added some plot points for fun! I really enjoyed writing this, and now I'm loving Han & Rōshi's relationship with Sasuke, as well as shipping Sasuke & Kisame. More rare pairings, the better.
> 
> Have a great new year, everyone!

_We don't know what will happen,_ Sakura says in his head, _we don't even know if it'll work._

Well. It did work, and maybe that's a relief, but all Sasuke can feel is regret. He can only recall her bright green eyes watching him from the corner of the room, careful not to step on the lines Naruto left to them before he died in Danzo's hands, and disappointment burns its way through his chest with how she had to stay back and be erased from the world they had been fighting to preserve when Sasuke was the one going back.

Naruto's gifts are precious, and the most important he gave to Sasuke is his friendship- Sasuke knows that as well as he knows how warm his brother's blood feels on his hands, how betrayal looks in front of his eyes- but _this…_

This comes very close to it.

_Call me 'this' one more time, and I will rip you in pieces._

Yeah, comes so very close to it.

 _'We both know you can't.'_ He thinks back, hoping that'll keep the fox quiet, but it's futile. Kurama isn't a being he can order around- maybe with his sharingan he has a chance to do so, but he doesn't feel brave enough to pull that card when he's sitting on one of Naruto's seals. He knows how likely they are to blow up on the face of whoever's close to it, and right now, he is the only human being around. He can't take any risks. _'I'm your only bet at staying alive.'_

Or as much as a chakra construct with conscience can be alive- he isn't good at these things. Karin used to take over when complicated questions about chakra came up, but she's gone, so Sasuke has no one to turn to with this subject.

There are no replies coming from the deepest parts of his mind, but he can hear -feel- Kurama's grumbling. The fox knows how to make sure Sasuke is aware of his annoyance at this situation, at being _trapped_ within Sasuke's mind, but neither of them can do anything about it.

Naruto dropped this on them, and now all they can do is try handling it- whatever that'll fix, Sasuke doesn't know. He has always been good at breaking things instead of fixing, like how he did with his team, or how he did with his brother, not to mention his former village.

Well, he actually doesn't regret Konoha's fall, not truly. The lives lost with it is what Sasuke feels sorry for, but he feels satisfied with how that place can never hurt anyone else ever again. Whatever Sandaime and Nidaime hoped for Konoha has been lost in the wind for so long.

Sasuke sighs.

It's been so long since he sat down over Naruto's seal, and Kakashi's glowing, white chakra swirled around him to shape into a dome, keeping him separate from the world. All his only companion to this ride does is complaining, as annoying as it is, and he can't do anything to stop the fox, either. He feels tempted to think that it can't get any worse than this, but he also knows how fate likes to prove him wrong, so he can't.

The thirst is the worst part. He can go on with an empty stomach for a few more days, and the silence -except Kurama's comments- is bearable enough, but the lack of water is what he can't keep up with. It blurs the line he has for his memories and nightmares, the door that keeps the moments of the Uchiha Massacre or his brother's last moments from invading his thoughts cracks under the weight of dehydration. He hates how vulnerable it makes him feel.

 _'Do you know how much longer this will go on?'_ He tries to ask Kurama.

 _How would I know?_ The fox replies in his mind, _just hope that it won't be long enough for me to snap and decide to eat a disgusting pest like you._

A bad companion, indeed.

Sasuke lets his eyes slip closed. He has to hold on, keep believing in Naruto and those borderline insane plans of his, because that's all he can do now. The nightmare Danzo unleashed upon them with Zetsu when he found out about the banishment of Konoha in Akatsuki's hands can only be stopped by him, because he will be the only one who remembers- or he is _supposed_ to be, but the fatal situation they're in doesn't change the fact that Naruto's seals has a habit of malfunctioning.

And so he waits. That's all he can do.

\--

The thing is, Sasuke doesn't know when to stop. He pushes and pushes until he accomplishes the goals he set in stone, or loses.

He doesn't know how to pick his fights. He might remember all Orochimaru had tried to drill in his head during his time in Otogakure about 'bending' instead of 'breaking' when the flow of life goes against his wishes -because he is a Sharingan, and they don't _forget-_ but that doesn't mean he knows how to follow them. _Stubborn enough to take down mountains,_ Shisui used to say, _or be the one to be taken down while trying._

The thing is, out of all things Itachi taught him, following his own beliefs is the one that sticked the most.

And that's the reason why he ends up here.

"Watch your back, Danna! Heard Gobi likes splashing around, un." A proud giggle follows the exclamation, and Sasuke takes another deep breath to keep himself from falling down.

"Be quiet." Another voice responds. Sasuke feels the corner of his lips twitching, because, well, enemy or not, it's like Sasori knows what exactly Sasuke wanted to say and says it in his place- Sasuke almost appreciates it. "Who will I be working with, Leader?"

"Kisame." Pein answers, and Sasuke feels a drop of sweat sliding down his temple. Being stuck on the ceiling of the cave the shinobi world's worst enemies are plotting in is bad enough, and he can't even move from the fear of being discovered, but the tremble of his arms isn't because of fear.

He is a war veteran, one of the most powerful shinobi to exist in his timeline, but hunger knows no bounds. He's only human, and the lack of resources during the countless days -or maybe even weeks- he wasted for his long long travel (he refuses to call it _time travel,_ because that's something Naruto would say) already weakened him. And now, being have to use chakra to stay stuck on the ceiling when his reserves are already depleted from the fight he went through against Zetsu before he stepped on the seal array… it's enough to push him to his limits.

Sasuke is stubborn, yes, and it was his fault for not ducking behind a boulder to get away from sight, then escape from this cave. But seeing Itachi -Sasuke calls him _kin-slayer_ on his good days, and _brother_ on bad, because that hurts the most- for the first time after the Edo Tensei was released had been too tempting. He should've sneaked away, but instead of that, his stubborn streak had shown itself in the worst possible way and he had followed his gut like an idiot -like _Naruto._

This is entirely his fault.

"What? But what about me-" Deidara startles, and Sasuke lets his eyes fall on the shadow silhouette of his pissed of stance for a change. "Wait a moment… Are you going to pair me up with that turncoat, un? No way I'm agreeing to that!"

At least he's getting information on Akatsuki's plans, Sasuke tries to console himself, and he even found out enough about the timeline. He knows Kokuō is alive with Han right now- that gives him enough time to work out a plan and stop Madara from getting any of the Tailed Beasts.

"No one asked for you opinion, fussy." Hidan huffs out. Another drop of sweat joins the previous one at sliding down from the corner of Sasuke's brow, and they leave cold trails in their awake, tickling their way to the tip of his nose. "I can't believe I'm missing all the fun!"

But again, none of the information is worth listening this amount of _bitching._

"Hey, watch your mouth, you idiot-!" Deidara lashes out immediately in response. Sasuke sighs and tries to mentally prepare himself for the incoming storm of insults.

Luckily, it gets interrupted.

"Enough." Pein says as a final. "Kisame, Sasori, I expect Gobi will be brought in in time-"

The drop of sweat leaves its place on the tip of Sasuke's nose, and drips down to the floor of the cave.

A silence surrounds the cave.

 _Hah,_ Kurama rumbles in his mind, _you're as awful as Naruto at stealth._

"Zetsu." Pein commands, and with a quiet hiss, the jutsu that makes it possible for Akatsuki to meet up without physically being there is released, and Sasuke hurls himself away from one of the stone hands the members were standing on to leap from boulder to boulder, towards the entrance of the cave. _'Shut up.'_

His only chance is running away and hoping to stay out of Akatsuki's radars before Zetsu -or worse, _Obito-_ finds him.

_'Just- shut up.'_

\--

The first thing that registers itself in Sasuke's mind once the shock of traveling to the past -which sounds like something Sakura would say had she been on a handful of painkillers- and seeing Itachi again after everything, not to mention the effects the lack of food, water and sleep left on his body dissipates, is that being on run to escape from Akatsuki is not that different from being on run to escape from Danzo and Zetsu. It might even be _easier._

Using Naruto's previously-tested-and-approved seals to create a henge that can last while he is sleeping as long as its charged with enough chakra, slipping undetected from villages and borders with his genjutsus, pulling a ridiculous disguise that is so obviously a disguise that shinobi don't take him seriously and realize his actual skin color wasn't supposed to be dark- it's a familiar game Sasuke knows. It's a game that he plays, does it oh-so-smoothly that even Kakashi used to have problems finding him before- well, before he traveled back and erased his own friends and timeline.

He even finds a little comfort in the routine he used to repeat so well. It's so easy to turn his head back to search for Sakura's clever but plain civilian disguise following him from a few feet away for the sake of a mission. He doesn't find her, obviously, and maybe that digs into a deep wound that hurts more than one on flesh would, but that doesn't matter.

And, well, it's never quiet enough for him to focus on the lack of companions around him. Kurama makes sure that it isn't.

_Are you stupid enough to not realize you have a tail? Or are you just pretending?_

Sasuke feels somehow grateful, but not enough to keep himself from replying.

 _'You would know what a real one looks like, wouldn't you?'_ He shots back on instinct. It has became a daily- no, hourly routine for them to throw each other biting comments. When the pace of his mind slows down enough for him to be able to think on something as simple as this, Sasuke finds that he doesn't hate it entirely. Not that he'd tell the fox this- he'd end up acting so smug. _'I know Han is following us. That was the plan. Did your old ass forgot already?'_

A low growl answers him, but it's not as threatening as it had been when Naruto first dropped Kurama in Sasuke's mind to go for his suicide mission to delay Zetsu and Danzo so that Sasuke and Sakura had enough time to escape. It almost feels like a friendly banter, but Sasuke's mental health can't take the idea of joking around with a chakra beast, so maybe not.

_Don't be an idiot. You have a tail within the village, so that's not Han, it's Rōshi. Their chakra impressions aren't even similar. You can't miss the difference._

Sasuke hesitates, letting his senses reach out to check the cloaked chakra signature. ' _Oh.'_

Well, jinchuurikis are better at keeping their chakras hidden than regular shinobi. It isn't really his fault for not paying attention to which was following him. Sasuke only needs to know that someone with a tailed beast is after him.

_Don't rush. There's a lot more on the line than your life, you can't afford being reckless._

Sasuke accepts the comment without denying his mistake. It leaves a bad taste in his mouth to admit himself, but Kurama is right. He allows himself to give a quick jerk of head to show Kurama he understands, and then ducks into a dango stand at the side of the road. Curtains flap behind him as he settles on a seat.

_'Rōshi is as good as Han. We need to warn them both about Akatsuki.'_

_More allies can make this easier on us._ Kurama says- then he adds like an afterthought, _it can speed up the actual plan and help me to get rid of you earlier._

 _'Admit it,'_ The corner of his lips quirk upwards for a moment, and Sasuke lifts a hand to get the vendor's attention. As he asks for two sticks of dango, he continues. _'You're starting to get used to me.'_

Kurama only huffs, but doesn't object.

Sasuke only grins, and waits for Rōshi's patience to run out so that he will slip inside the stall and get the dango Sasuke ordered for him. His own plan reminds him of Kakashi's tricks, the way he would use Sasuke's own impatience to pull him into a trap.

Well. He had a good teacher to learn from.

\--

"Uchiha," Han calls out from his seat by the fireplace, "Are you sure about this?"

 _As much as I can be,_ Sasuke thinks, but he can't allow that reply to slip out. Han is following him because Rōshi believes in Sasuke's plans, and Rōshi's belief comes from Sasuke being confident in what he does. "Yes. My visit to Yagura's office proved me right about the genjutsu he was under, and he's free from influence now that I've broke him out of it. He's looking for answers, and only we can give them to him."

Kurama lets out a quiet, approving rumble. _He will come for you on his own. Isobu is still shaking off the effects of genjutsu, but they both will agreed to meet you._

"Alright." Han sighs as if his troubles are confirmed, and turns his eyes back to the fireplace. The corners of his eyes have wrinkles maybe from age, or worrying, Sasuke doesn't know which. "Rōshi should be back from getting supplies in a few minutes."

Sasuke lets a quiet hum and goes back to the notebook in his hands to get back writing down his budget. It isn't easy being a shinobi when he doesn't have a village backing him up, and he only has enough experience to keep the money flowing.

 _'Are you still sure about keeping your existence from the other tailed beasts?'_ The question forms in his mind before he can push back the thought- Kurama doesn't appreciate Sasuke's curiosity about his motivates. But he just can't help it, it's weird that Kurama tries to keep his existence from his, well, siblings. He thinks that's as close as he can get at guessing what the chakra beasts are for each other.

Kurama's annoyance fills his head quickly enough. _Yes._ He doesn't offer an explanation, and Sasuke admits defeat with a subtle sigh.

_Alright._

\--

"You have the sharingan." Rōshi points out on their way to Taki after they're done explaining Yagura what Akatsuki is planning. Sasuke knows this question had been long due, it wasn't like he really tried to keep his bloodline a secret. It was just that… he expected it from Han, not _Rōshi._

" _A pair of_ sharingan," He points out, because he still isn't used to not being the only Uchiha -excluding Itachi, because when hadn't he?- and even if he doesn't count Itachi and Obito, there's nothing like _'the_ sharingan' when there's a bunch still around, like the ones in Danzo's arm. "and you have a giant chakra beast in you."

"Fair enough." Rōshi nods as if that's enough of an answer for him. Sasuke expects more prodding, expects questions and curiosity, but there's nothing more said between them.

He tries to ignore the all-knowing look Rōshi exchanges with Han that's walking a few feet ahead of them, and turns his gaze back to the road. He feels somehow grateful that they don't ask more about his bloodline.

They're almost at Taki. He just needs to keep walking on this tight rope he hung above the chaos Madara and Zetsu are brewing within the shinobi world for a little while longer, and then-

Well. Then he can rest.

\--

 _Chōmei knows._ Kurama murmurs quietly in his mind as Sasuke cradles Fuu's sleeping form in his arms, trying not to jostle her too much as he tries to carry her back to her bed in the inn they are staying. Han throws a grateful glance at him from where he had been sitting for last two hours to play with Fuu until she fell asleep, and Sasuke gives back an amused nod to him.

 _'It was inevitable. You once told be that you all could feel each others' presence from anywhere.'_ He thinks to Kurama, and steps into the room. It's small, much more smaller than the one Sasuke snatched Fuu from, but it also doesn't have countless seals made to contain a tailed beast. That room had been a cage, but this one is just what it is supposed to be- a room. _'I expected all tailed beasts coming after us to find out how there were_ two Kyuubi _walking around.'_

 _I really did tell you that._ Kurama's sigh echoes in his mind. _A part of mine had disappeared the day the Fourth tore it apart to be sealed within Shinigami alongside with his own soul. Others probably didn't know what exactly happened to that part of me, but they sensed it. I thought they would think that part of me found a way to get back from where it was sent._

It makes sense, to a point. Sasuke doesn't know how tailed beasts feel each other -maybe they are sensing the giant mass of concentrated chakra in their siblings', but without Karin, Sasuke can't even be sure of 'how's or 'why's- but he hums quietly to show Kurama that he is listening. Fuu is unmoving except the ritmic rise of her chest in his arms, and he stops by her bedside to lower her carefully on the white mattress.

 _I think they all know I'm here._ Oh. That can risk their plans, he thinks, but as if he knows what Sasuke is thinking -and he does too, that damn fox- Kurama continues. _But they're not doing anything about it._

 _'We can still keep going,'_ Reaching to the quilt pushed back to the side of the bed, still messy from morning, Sasuke tucks in Fuu's sleeping form. _'And use this in our favor.'_

 _That we can,_ Kurama agrees readily. _Now go back to that room and tell those two brats that we're going to Suna. Shukaku is getting restless._

As he turns back to slip away from Fuu's room, Sasuke lets out a quiet snort and whispers to himself, "When doesn't he?"

Kurama doesn't object.

\--

"Father won't be happy that you're trying to take Gaara away." The miniature version of Temari huffs out with her hands lodged on her hips. She looks… ridiculous, maybe, but Sasuke still remembers the way blood dripped down from her temple as she tried to keep several Root operatives from getting to Sasuke.

He had been tired then, chakra spent and injuries more than he could handle after fighting Danzo and trapping him in one of Naruto's teleportation seals that did nothing except giving them some time to escape. She hadn't came back to their camping spot that day, not until they had found her body days later, hanging off from Zetsu's claw-like grip. Sasuke still has nightmares, sometimes. Fuu's presence helps a little to keep them away lately, though, and Han is a good company to spend a sleepless night with. Talking about other things helps.

"Rasa is never happy," He shrugs to her, throwing a look towards where Rōshi has Gaara sitting on his shoulders. They are laughing with Fuu -she's flying to reach Gaara's height, and what a surprise it is to learn that she can use Chōmei's wings even now- or at least Gaara's lips are twitching into something resembling to a smile, and it's painfully domestic considering how they are actually on run from Akatsuki to keep themselves alive. "And I know you don't trust him any more than me."

Temari looks at him weirdly, but her eyes still look older than they're supposed to look like on a child's face. Sasuke knows what it's like to grow up fast, fast enough to never truly consider himself as a child that runs around to play with friends, but it burns through his chest to know that Temari still has to go through knowing that feeling even though Sasuke is trying to give her a better life, give everybody a better chance to keep on living.

Rasa is a bad father, maybe worse than Fugaku was. If it weren't for his plans, Sasuke would go and beat some sense into him.

"You made Gaara smile," Temari says at last, her head turning towards where Gaara is waving a hand towards Kankuro, who is watching him with Han by his side. "That's more than what Rasa managed."

Sasuke presses his lips together tightly and the image of Itachi thanking Shisui for taking care of Sasuke after another scolding from their father overlaps Temari's serious expression. "You're a good sibling." He says.

Itachi was, too.

Right until he wasn't.

\--

Sasuke is aware that the hidden villages are hunting him down to get their jinchuurikis back, just like Akatsuki does to get rid of him. He does it in a way that he used to remind himself how Danzo was after them every morning he woke up before this whole madness started, before Naruto came up with the crazy idea that instead of fixing things, they could make sure nothing was wrong from the beginning for it to need to be fixed. Time travel, he had said with an excited grin on his face, they could save everyone with it.

Sasuke remembers thinking it wasn't the most idiotic thing that came out of Naruto's mouth.

Oh, how wrong he was.

Jumping over the senbon that almost lodges itself into his throat, Sasuke leaps to another branch with a controlled exhale. Genma has always been a shinobi to watch out for, for how he was sneaky enough to become both Third and Fourth Hokage's guard, and knew his way around poisons too. He was one hell of a shot too- even Kakashi had gotten caught to his senbon several times.

And, well, Sasuke was fast, almost as much as Kakashi, and he was an actual Uchiha unlike his sensei -because Sasuke was always going to refuse Kakashi's right to a sharingan, those who were deserving of such a power were poisoned with bad intentions, Sasuke included- but he still used to have a hard time with him back at… future? Sasuke's past that didn't actually exist anymore?

In this timeline, though, Genma is _easy._ It was child's play to jump over a carefully placed trap wire, and Sasuke would be curious about how he found his hideout if it hadn't been his own doing.

He had sent the jinchuurikis to Yagura's side, so that they could talk to Utakata and get him ready for the fight that was coming. Gaara had tears in his eyes when he had learnt Sasuke's plan, and it was like a small splinter had lodged itself into his chest, but that didn't stop him from letting a few civilians see his sharingan as he was leaving the inn.

Kurama had laughed him the whole way with how he managed to 'adopt' his old enemy-slash-friend, but not so much after Sasuke pointed out his strange protective behaviour towards Chōmei.

And so, all Sasuke had to do was waiting. He knew Konoha wouldn't disappoint him for this once.

He is right.

"You're not Itachi." Genma's voice huffs out grumpily, and Sasuke lets his feet stick to a tree's trunk with chakra to throw a glance back. Genma is standing still on the clearing he first tried to ambush Sasuke at, and he has his ANBU mask on, but his stance still screams 'insulted'. It's almost like he had hoped Sasuke to be Itachi.

"You're lucky I'm not him," He replies with a shrug, grinning. "He would _eat you alive."_

"I'd like to see that." Kakashi says from the top of the tree Sasuke is standing on, and Sasuke keeps grinning as his sensei's younger version releases a lightning style jutsu.

 _Kinky,_ Kurama murmurs in his mind.

_'You're the one talking.'_

\--

It pushes his limits to escape from the interrogation room just before Ibiki steps in the empty cell, but staying in the shadows and laying a thick genjutsu to cover himself is noticeably easier. He's silent as a ghost as he slips into the orphanage Naruto is supposed to be in, and steals him right under from his ANBU guards' noses. His illusions are like heavy, wet blankets over the reality, layers over layers to keep people from noticing Naruto's bed is empty.

They will notice his absence once the genjutsu-Naruto doesn't rise up from the bed as early as possible to prank his caretakers, but it will do for now. It's more than enough of an opening for Sasuke to have Naruto's small, sleeping body in his arms, and slip away from the village with another genjutsu covering Naruto's still sleeping form.

Everything goes according to plan. If it wasn't for the sting in his eyes, Sasuke would forget this wasn't his reality.

Naruto used to be much, much bigger. He had grown up for Sasuke to look at him by raising his head, and the wrinkles from smiling too much are not on this young face. The Naruto in his arms is a stranger. It's not _his_ Naruto.

Maybe that's for better.

\--

Sasuke slips into the Mizukage's office with two guards by his side. They accompany him to the door, and stay out to keep watch as he steps in to talk with Yagura and the others.

It's a secret, the disappearings of jinchuurikis, but Sasuke had expected that already- too much pride and too little preference in weakness the hidden villages had to announce their most powerful _weapons_ were missing. And Yagura knew how to keep their meeting under wrap, too, so their hideout had ended up as the Hidden Mist Village for now.

"-will be arriving shortly, I'm sure." Yagura says. Gaara's and Fuu's almost inaudible whispers accompanies his voice from the background.

"Yeah, don't worry Utakata." Rōshi says right after. "He's just out to get a hold of Kyuubi's jinchuuriki, he told us it was a little kid- oh. Here he is."

Sasuke gives a small nod in reply, and closes to door behind him. He lets his eyes trail on everyone in the room, taking in their rested appearance and calm faces -except Fuu, but she never has a calm expression anyway- with something close to relief spreading in his chest after seeing them unharmed, but-

"Did we have a headcount?" He says with a frown. He's awful at keeping a track of these things -mostly because usually Naruto was the one who did that- but he's almost sure they were supposed to be one person… well, less.

"It was two for the price of one," Rōshi says with a grin spreading on his face. His red beard has gotten a little shorter, and Sasuke has a feeling this has to do with their unexpected guest. "So we got you a present."

"Shut up!" Yugito Nii exclaims angrily. Her ears are flushed, but she straightens her spine and steps forward. Her face is steely, and she looks right into Sasuke's eyes as if to prove him something.

"Well. You're new." Sasuke says faintly. He wonders if they think he's recruiting members to set up a jinchuuriki gang or something. He isn't trying to- to-

 _Adopt children?_ Kurama supplies helpfully, that damned fox.

_'Shut up.'_

"I can fight," Yugito says with determination burning bright in her eyes. "No one knows my status except my caretakers, so I can get you food and supplies. Let me join you."

And that's new, too. Join? Join what?

"What do you-?"

Yugito's face twists, and desperation creeps into her stance as she hunches forward a little. She cuts him off easily. "I'll be useful! More than those two-" She throws a hand towards where Gaara and Fuu are huddled against each other. "Just let me join! I don't want to go back to Kumo!"

Silence surrounds the room easily enough, and everybody's eyes are on him.

Sasuke blinks once, then twice, and slowly sets the now awake Naruto in his arms down. Naruto goes along quietly. He's still not fully recovered from learning the truth about his parents and Kurama, maybe, but he'll be okay. Sasuke knows he's as strong as the Naruto he once knew, the friend he didn't deserve but had nonetheless before he lost him.

"Join what?" He says finally.

Yugito's face does a weird thing, something between crumbling and twisting with sadness and rage, and no one says anything for a moment.

"Fine." Yugito hisses out defensively, and her hands curl around her forearms tightly. She's disappointed, Sasuke knows that much, but he just doesn't understand _why._ "I- then I will-"

"Yugito." Han cuts in. When Sasuke turns his head to him with the question on _what's going on_ obvious in his eyes, the corners of Han's eyes crinkle with humor. "I don't think Sasuke understands what you mean."

"I don't think he knows what's exactly going on." Yagura adds helpfully, then turns towards Sasuke to give him a small smile. "Sasuke. We decided to turn into a mercenary group until Akatsuki is disbanded. Fighting fire with fire sounded like a good plan to us."

"And we want you to be our only non-jinchuuriki member for now," Utakata murmurs from where he's sitting beside Yagura's table, and looks into Sasuke's eyes as he rises up from his seat. "As well as our leader. Nice to finally meet you, Sasuke. I'm Utakata, the jinchuuriki of six ta- oh, sorry, I meant Saiken."

Kurama only laughs at Sasuke.

\--

"Where are we going?" Naruto's legs dangle from Sasuke's shoulders as he continues walking down the road. The letter in his hands tell him of another alliance secured, and Zabuza's request for another match is also squeezed somewhere between Haku saying 'hi' and 'how is Naruto doing?'. His ego still doesn't seem to be recovered from his humiliating failure at taking down Sasuke.

 _Maybe you should go and have another sparring session with him,_ Kurama says placidly. _Then you can punch him into you bed again._

Sasuke sends an annoyed nudge to him in his mind. He's used to Kurama's teasing about how he had his way with one of the oldest enemies he had, and he can't seem to forget Zabuza's offer for a rematch before their first spar was over. It's probably hilarious for him. _'That was a one-time thing, and you know that as well.'_

Kurama snorts. _It doesn't seem like_ he _does, though._

Sasuke doesn't respond to that, because Kurama may be a little right at that. Instead, he glances up towards Naruto to give him a small smile. It feels strange on his face, but it makes him feel better knowing Naruto will get to have several people smiling at him kindly as he grows up instead of looking at him with frowns. "To get something to eat. Yugito said Fuu ate all of the leftovers as snacks again."

"Oh!" Naruto laughs, and there's enough mischief decorating his face that Sasuke knows he should suspect foul play.

"You helped her, didn't you?"

Naruto doesn't answer, but his grin speaks for itself.

With a sigh, Sasuke glances around to see a park. He reaches up to catch Naruto from his armpits, and lowers him to the ground. Naruto lands a little roughly, but he doesn't mention it. Sasuke wonders if it's because he doesn't know he wasn't supposed to land like that, or he is aware that Sasuke is as inexperienced in this whole… caring thing, as he is.

Still, it makes it easier for Sasuke to point his hand towards the park without apologizing. He didn't mean to hurt Naruto, and he knows Naruto knows that.

"Want to play?" He asks. "I'll get everything we need and come get you."

Naruto lets out an energetic cheer and throws himself towards the park, but Sasuke catches him from his collar before he can get away.

"Hey, slow down." He smiles over Naruto's pout, and lifts a finger to emphasize his point, "If I don't come back in a hour, go back to the inn. Stick to shadows, don't talk to strangers, ask Kurama for help if you see people with the red cloud on their clothes, or any of the Konoha shinobi. Including the ones you know. Okay?"

Naruto nods, and Sasuke copies him with another smile. "Good." He lets Naruto's collar go, and fixes the clothing with approval. "Now, go."

Naruto barrels towards the park with a loud whoop, and Sasuke feels his smile get bigger.

 _Adopted,_ Kurama says gleefully, and Sasuke pointedly ignores him as he turns back to walk towards the shops.

His heart feels a lot lighter compared to the first time he stepped into this world, the past he never got to properly live.

\--

Samehada fits snugly against his throat, and Sasuke sucks in a very much needed breath carefully to not injure himself. Kusanagi is still in his hands, and there isn't even a tremble at the tip of the blade that's resting against Kisame's shoulder blades.

It's embarrassing how he didn't sense Kisame until it was too late. By then, he had no choice but to dodge fast punches and jutsus and slashes from Samehada.

 _Idiot,_ Kurama continues chiding him in his mind, _you're nothing but a waste of oxygen! I sleep a little to rest for a moment, and you manage to get caught off guard by Akatsuki? I can't believe Naruto trusted your abilities enough to seal me into you._

Sasuke would try to defend himself, but he knows Kurama isn't trying to irritate him. He's just… well, _bad at showing how he cares,_ Naruto had once said about Kurama, _better at getting angry than being worried, so he prefers insults,_ and Sasuke is not surprised to find some- no, lots of truth in his words.

_Was picking vegetables interesting enough for you to miss a shark watching you from a dead-end street? And when you did, you followed him to here too, idiot-_

_'Kurama,'_ Sasuke says in his mind understandingly, _'Please shut up.'_

Then, muscles ripple under his thighs, and Sasuke exhales quickly. He blames it on the fighting, but he knows that's only half of the truth.

The position feels intimate, with Kisame kneeling between his spread out legs, one hand still lodged into the floor where he tried to smash Sasuke's head in with his punches and missed, and he's leaning over Sasuke's still form. Sasuke still has his legs wrapped around his waist to keep him from getting out of his hold and Kusanagi's range. It's so, so close, and Sasuke's blood is burning through his veins with rage and thrill and maybe desire, his whole body feels like on fire.

It's almost unbelievable how he missed the thrill of fighting against a remarkable enemy. His heart is hammering against his chest with adrenaline, as if it wants to smash its way out of his ribcage, and he can feel Kisame's heart rate mirroring his from where he has his free hand wrapped around Kisame's throat. His fingers can't even cover half of his throat, and even when Sasuke squeezes with his chakra-reinforced muscles, he finds that he still can't keep Kisame from breathing.

It's dangerous.

It's _hot._

"Here's the deal," Sasuke says between his wheezes with a huge grin on his face, and he can't keep himself from giving Kisame a onceover, his eyes straying off of their path once or twice when he sees the tent visible on his pants. "Screw Akatsuki."

Kisame gives him back a smile that screams _dangerous,_ and his sharp teeth gleam under the sun that's barely visible from the buildings that surround the deserted, dead-end street they're in. "And what do I get out of that?"

Sasuke lets his grin widen. "Screwing me?"

Kisame lets out a booming laugh in response, and Sasuke feels his muscles tightening and moving under the skin of his thighs. His hips twitch a little, but he pulls his desire under control with little regret. Still, it must be enough of an interesting reaction that Kisame's head drops to side and he gives Sasuke a show of him licking his lips slowly. "Tempting, but not enough."

Sasuke shrugs calmly, "Well," He sighs a little, pausing as if to think of something that would get Kisame's interest. They both know he already has something in mind, but Kisame lets the silence draw out as if to humor him. Sasuke eyes his pale hand against the blue skin of Kisame's throat, and hums thoughtfully. "How about the future?"

\--

"You sure about this, Ducky?" Kisame asks, and if it wasn't for the nickname and the grin on his face, Sasuke would've thought that he was _worried._

"Yeah _Ducky,_ why are you making your _hubby_ worried?" Rōshi snorts oh-so-elegantly and wiggles his eyebrows.

Sasuke just sighs.

 _Not gonna answer, Ducky?_ Kurama joins them at taunting him quickly enough. _Come on, answer your_ hubby _._

This is getting out of control at this point, really.

"Hey," Kisame says again, and Sasuke lets his eyes slide away from the floor to look at him. He finds that Kisame is already watching him with focused eyes, and feels a ghost of a smile pulling the corner of his lips. He's lucky to find Kisame in the middle of this mess of an attempt at saving the world, but he doesn't know how much hold his luck has when Kisame was the one to give him a nickname as insulting as _'Ducky'._ "I'm serious. You sure about this?"

Sasuke feels the strained muscles on his face giving slowly, letting his face relax and soften, and he nods quietly. He feel lighter somehow, and the press on his chest is not as smoldering as it was just a moment ago.

His eyes catch Kisame's hand twitching at the corner of his vision, and he suddenly longs to reach out and grip him- maybe press a kiss that will show Kisame how much of a storm is going on in his mind right now, or two if he feels like teasing. But Rōshi is probably waiting for them to do exactly something like that, so that he can keep teasing them about the whole 'knowing each other for a week in total but being married' thing he thinks they have going on.

It's nothing like that, though. This is a hidden oasis in this fight, a place for no fight that's more than teasing, no blood that's not shed not for mutual skin pleasure they chase- it's safe, strangely enough. Sasuke has never expected to find such a companion in Kisame, but world is full of wonders.

Also, Naruto approves whatever they have, too, but maybe that's because of the sweets Kisame carry in his pockets to give him. Fuu also likes him for that, it's kind of like she can smell anything that's both edible and sweet. Yugito, though- she _hates_ him.

Utakata says it's the whole 'cats and fishes' rule. Yagura says it's because of Kisame's height.

Sasuke knows it's because Yugito smelled Kisame's scent on Sasuke before they had a chance to bathe after a sparring session that turned into something else just as interesting.

He curls his fingers into a fist to keep himself from reaching out to Kisame. "Doesn't matter. I have to do this."

"You don't." Gaara's small voice comes from the bottom of the chair Naruto is perched on. Only his head is visible from his hiding spot, and his eyes carry a soft light that wasn't there when Sasuke snatched him up from Suna. "You don't have to do anything, Nii-san."

It's one thing to remember himself calling Itachi _that,_ but it's entirely another blow to hear Gaara, Fuu and Naruto calling him 'brother'. The first time he heard Fuu call him that, he had frozen up. Now, though, he lets a small, fond smile spread on his face, and nods knowingly. "You're right, Gaara. But I need to do this for myself."

Gaara nods back, and the serious,understanding gesture looks so ridiculous on the face of a small child that Sasuke lets out a small chuckle.

_He will grow up to become the ally you once knew._

Sasuke knows this too. _'He won't become a shadow of my memories. He will be better than what he had been before."_

Kurama hums, and his presence settles over Sasuke's mind comfortingly. _But it's still a relief he's not completely different._

Kurama knows what Sasuke feels, but Sasuke still replies. _'It is.'_

It truly is.

\--

The sharp, hostile eyes that are digging to his back makes Sasuke's senses tingle with an unpleasant feeling. It's like dozens of needles are sinking into his skin with no remorse, and the dark forest of Konoha makes the scene as eerie as possible.

He has no back up, no way to reach his allies, and his lips are still tingling from Kisame's shocking kiss, something out of the novels civilians like to read with how Kisame's muscled arms had pulled Sasuke's body snug against his own and dipped him low enough that even with his lithe body, he had felt his spine stretching to the point of stinging. He isn't sure how he feels about remembering this memory that was just hours ago when someone is stalking him- especially when that someone is his _brother._

It simply is an understatement to say that Sasuke is aware that Itachi is watching him.

He doesn't know what he expects from his first meeting in this timeline with Itachi. He knows he left Itachi the dust on his shoes every time he slipped past Akatsuki when they were trying to catch him, and now he's giving himself to them volunteeringly.

He can't keep his sharingan contained with how tense he is. He doesn't know if he wants to turn back and run away, or leap towards Itachi to hug him until he feels the empty space in his heart that has been there ever since he was a little kid and found the bodies of his parents lying in a pool of their own blood, with his brother standing over them like Shinigami itself, fill itself. He feels desperate for action, to get the nerves down a notch, but he also knows he _needs_ to stay still. He can't screw this up.

"Uchiha Itachi," He murmurs quietly, skin prickling with of Konan's eyes on his form as well, "Murderer of his own family, S-rank missing-nin from Konoha." He forces out a grin to his face, and he knows Itachi and Konan can see how bitter his expression is. Maybe they even know that this isn't just a hunt for him, this is also _personal._ "That's you, right?"

He doesn't know what exactly is the response he expects. A nothing, mostly, but he thinks of a _yes_ or _no_ too, but none of them fit to the mouth of the image he has of Itachi in his mind.

He's always been curious ever since Itachi's death, of what kind of person his brother has became as he grew up except the selfless, loyal, loving person Sasuke believes religiously he is. Who is Uchiha Itachi? What has became of the brother with a gentle smile that Sasuke loved so much?

"That's what others call me." Itachi replies, and he steps into Sasuke's vision by slipping away from the mass of trees. Sasuke eyes his brother's calm and straight form, and he feels hungry for the lines of Itachi's face that Sasuke missed oh-so-much. He lets himself inspect the way his brother's chest expand with every single breath he takes, how he looks so barely thin and sick that Sasuke wouldn't notice if he didn't know how Itachi used to held himself up when he was sick but too stubborn to rest during his time in ANBU. "Who are you?"

It's a question Sasuke expects. He takes a deep breath, holds it in, counts to five, and lets it go. It's one he expects, but doesn't feel ready for.

He smiles a little, hurting and battered enough that this pain feels like coming home after such a long time with new companions and smiles full of warmth. He doesn't want it to feel so familiar. "Who do you think I am, Nii-san?"

Itachi stays unmoving for a second, and his sharingan flashes bright red. His eyes slide over Sasuke's clothes and stance to his soft, pained smile, and then their eyes meet. Sasuke watches carefully, and he knows Konan is getting restless, her chakra is shining brightly at the back of his mind as Kurama carefully keeps a track of it.

Sasuke knows he looks different from how he used to when he was a small child- that's what happens when someone grows up. But he also knows he still has hints of his old self on his appearance. His hair is like just how he used to have, except the back maybe, where right by his neck is long and woven into several braids, as well as one side right over his ear. _Like an undercut,_ Sakura once said, but Sasuke hated the idea of being have to cut his hair occasionally just for style- and Kisame's hands are big, _so big,_ but also light and careful enough to make thin, smooth braids, he's glad he decided to keep his hair like that. He still has his pale skin too, because Uchiha don't tan, they _burn._ His face carries an echo of the chubby, small version of it, and sometimes he can see the little boy that had nightmares all night just to see dark, sunken eyes staring back at him in the mirror at the morning.

And Itachi's face does a weird mix of of twitching, frowning, and trying to stay emotionless, but Sasuke understands that he _sees._ There's confusion in his eyes, disbelief, hesitance, hurt, shock, _longing._ Sasuke doesn't know what to do.

He doesn't need to. Kurama pushes a strong _watch out_ into his mind, and Sasuke pushes himself away from where he's standing immediately. He knows they're a good team-they had a lot of time to practice, after all. And Kurama is right with his warning too, because Konan jumps forward from where she's hiding just after Sasuke leaps away, and her sharp paper senbons lodge themselves into where he had been standing a moment ago.

Itachi doesn't move from where he is as Sasuke keeps dodging Konan's paper shuriken and senbons, but then- then, Sasuke sees his eyes glimmering blood red under the stars and he lifts his hands to make signs.

The fire from his brother's katon jutsu burns beautifully. Konan dodges, but it doesn't matter. Itachi is standing by Sasuke's side, and-

"What the hell did you _do,_ Sasuke?"

And that's all that matters.


End file.
